Post HTT
by RituMio
Summary: This is what I was kind of hoping that would happen to the girls after season 2. Something like this at least.    If you like this, please let me know. If I need to work on things, let me know too, in a nice way :  Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

It's that time of year again: the time where every kid has to go back to school after lazing around in their so called pleasant vacation. It's not as bad as it seems though. Secretly, they have been looking forward to go back to school because it's yet another year for them to have new memories with friends, and even make new ones. They just refuse to admit that they are actually more excited than disgusted to go back.

Ui seemed kind of out of it today. You could tell that she didn't spend enough time to fix herself for she stood in front of their school spacing out with her hair all over the place. Azusa, who was walking to school with Jun, noticed the strange girl and stopped just a few feet behind.

"Do you think she misses coming to school with Yui?" Jun asked Azusa.

"Y-yeah possibly…" Azusa answered, still unsure about Ui's behavior.

The two approached the troubled girl.

"Ui," Azusa interrupted as she put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

Surprised, Ui slightly jumped and turned around, "Oh, hello guys."

"What's wrong Ui? You seem out of it." Jun asked.

"Ah… I'm sorry. I woke up late this morning and I went to Onee-chan's room but she was still sleeping. I noticed that she didn't have her stuff ready yet so I packed everything for her." Ui's tone changed, "But I didn't have time to make bentou for her." Ui said with a sad expression.

"Eh?" Azusa exclaimed, grabbing Ui's shoulders with a tight grip. "You're not supposed to be doing those things for senpai anymore! She's a college student now."

"Bu-but I want…. to" Ui said softly.

Azusa sighed, "Yui-senpai is never going to learn responsibility if you keep spoiling her like this Ui-chan."

"But…" Ui realized the truth and looked down. A few seconds later, the school bell rang: the sound that students knew by heart. It meant that they had ten minutes to get to class.

"Ah, Ui-chan, Azusa-chan. The bell. We still have to see what homeroom we're going to be in. We'll be late if we don't hurry." June cried out.

The three girls agreed and ran into the school building in a hurry.

As they quickly and desperately searched for their names on the list, it turned out that all three of them are in the same homeroom. Their faces lit up and they briefly shared a smile. The second bell rang. They ran up the stairs to get to the third floor. By the time they got to second, their heart and pulse were already racing and they were also out of breath.

One minute.

They continued to run, and finally reached the third floor.

Thirty seconds.

"Room 3-2! Quickly!" Jun gasped for air.

These three girls have already known each other for more than a year. As it turned out, they're much attuned with each other. Because of this, they work exceptionally well as a team. It's as if they know what the other is thinking and they're able to predict their next move. They don't even have to say a word to each other. It takes only one look. A look that signifies for help or whatever it may be that they're planning. As the girls attempt to get in the classroom on time for class, Jun had already thought of a way to make it. Ui and Azusa nodded, showing their approval. Jun went first, and then slowed down with both her knees and hands locked on the floor. Azusa set her left foot on Jun's back and took a leap; almost making her seem like she's flying across the hallway. She then used her full force to kick open the sliding door with her right foot, and swiftly sprinted in. It was Ui's turn next, but she was running out of breath.

"Go… go on without me Jun-chan," Ui said, panting.

Jun got on her feet, with much determination in her eyes to leave no one behind.

"Ui! Grab my hand!" Jun roared.

Knowing Jun's determination, Ui began to believe in herself. She increased her pace and held out her hand, but it wasn't her hand that Jun was aiming for. Jun grabbed Ui's wrist with both hands and whirled Ui around a couple times, and finally decided to let go. Perfect shot, in she went. Jun had taken big steps and was two feet away from the door.

One second.

She took one more step into the room and the last bell rang.

"I made it!" Jun said happily.

"Great. Now please sit down. You're disturbing the whole class." Sawako sighed. She stood in front of the class, holding a book while she pushed up her glasses.

The room was filled with students and Jun was the only one that stood out. Ui was in a corner trying to locate her consciousness, while Azusa sought to catch her breath.

"I-I'm sorry," Jun sat down, embarrassed.

The class resumed after being abstracted by the awesome three.

* * *

After school, the three walked to the music room while carrying their instruments.

"Hey Azusa, since you're the club president now, what are you planning to do?" Jun smiled.

"Club president..." Azusa thought for a moment, and then wandered off to visualize herself as being almighty and strict.

"_She's off in her own little world_," Ui and Jun thought.

As they passed by the staff room, they came to a halt. Sawako was sitting in her chair, and was also drifting off on her own. She was slouching in her chair, and her eyes appeared empty.

"Sensei…" Ui called out.

Sawako turned around, "WHA-AT" she said in a deep and rough voice.

The girls desperately yearned to run off quickly, "We, we just wanted to know how you're doing. We still have to practice, we'll see you later Sensei!"

Sawako came back to herself, "Huh?"

* * *

Everybody knows that college requires more dedication and commitment from students. Usually it puts more pressure on them because it is one step away to land an honorable position in this bloodthirsty world. It's a blood bath out there, especially now that the market is on the verge of going down the drain. College students may as well be role models because it is necessary to have self-discipline and they must study continuously. College is to be taken very seriously.

"Let's go have tea," Yui smiled adorably.

"I do not object!" Ritsu raised her hand.

"Quiet you two," Mio sighed, "we're new in this school and you're already embarrassing us."

"What's this? You're worried about your reputation?" Ritsu taunted, "I wonder what people will think when they see your picture from the festival."

Suddenly, an unpleasant image popped in Mio's head. She envisioned people whispering and looking at her with disgust. Some are laughing and giggling with their backs turned.

"Ritsu!" Mio became flustered and landed a punch on Ritsu's head, causing a tiny bump to swell up to three times the size in less than five seconds.

"What about we study for a few hours, _then_ we'll have cake and tea afterward?" Mugi proposed.

Overflowing with energy from an unknown source, Yui and Ritsu dashed into the library, "Study, study time!"

"_Mugi, you're amazing_," Mio thought.

Surprisingly, studying didn't quite bother Yui as much as it used to. She seemed more into it now: though her motivation might have come from Mugi's proposal. Ritsu, on the other hand, is, well, being Ritsu. Trying to lighten up the mood, Ritsu jammed two pens in her nostrils and snorted. No reaction from her friends. Everyone was still focusing on their studies. Her effort failed.

"_Must come up with another plan_," Ritsu thought.

She looked to her side to see Mio concentrating very hard on her work. Ritsu smiled playfully. She knew Mio way too well, ever since when they were still little. She knew her weakness, her strong points and her sensitive spots. She changed her sitting position, faced Mio and got ready. She looked at Mio again to make sure she wasn't aware of what she was up to. Her index finger came closer, and then even much closer to Mio's side. Ritsu gave Mio a soft jab which made her jump and let out a sweet squeal.

"Kyaa!" Mio shrieked, and quickly covered her mouth after realizing how loud she was being.

"Silence over there!" A lady behind the reception desk exclaimed.

Mio apologized to the lady, and gave Ritsu a death glare; a glare that sends off a, 'Your life is mine' aura. Cold sweat was rolling down Ritsu's face as she laughed nervously, and she tried to reason with Mio, but to no avail.

When study time came to an end, the girls came out from the library with a relieved expression, including Ritsu, despite the bumps on her head that seemed to keep piling up.

"Thank goodness! We can finally relax and have tea," Yui said happily.

"I don't know Yui-chan, it's getting kind of late," Mio opposed uneasily.

Mio was alarmed to see Yui's expression change into a helpless and sweet little girl whose requests became too hard to refuse.

"We-we'll go have tea," Mio finally gave in.

"Yeah! That's my Mio!" Ritsu cheered and threw her arms around her childhood friend.

"Don't get friendly with me. I'm not done punishing you," Mio snarled.

"Y-you're scary Mio-chan…" Ritsu said depressingly.

* * *

"Ah, it's getting late you guys. My mom is planning on having the whole family for dinner tonight so I'd better run along." Jun said as she packed her things.

"Oh, okay," Azusa replied disappointedly.

"I'm sorry. We'll finish this up tomorrow okay?" Jun said before walking out.

"Have fun," Ui smiled and waved goodbye to her friend.

"Well, I guess it's just us two then," Azusa said, "what do you want to do Ui-chan?"

"I don't really know," Ui answered. There was a moment of silence.

"Say, Azusa, do you have a boyfriend?" Ui asked.

"Eh!" Azusa cried as her face began to turn bright red, "wh-why all of a sudden?"

"Hmm, well you look like the type to be popular with the boys. You're cute, top of the class and you're in the light music club. I'm sure a lot of people have tried confessing their feelings to you." Ui continued.

"I… I'm only interested in the light music club," Azusa said timidly, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Is that so?" Ui said, a bit surprised that Azusa had a tendency to get flustered about this kind of thing.

"But," Azusa paused, "if I ever do get married, I want to marry someone who is kind, dependable, thoughtful, and… cute," she admitted.

"Ah Azusa-chan, so you do have a type!" Ui cheered.

"N-not really. That type of person is hard to come by these days," Azusa reasoned.

"You never know Azusa-chan," Ui smiled; a smile that always guaranteed to give people hope.

"Thank you, Ui-chan," Azusa was influenced by her friend's smile.

Ui's cell phone rang. She ran to where her back pack was sitting and answered the phone. She spent ten seconds talking to the person on the other line and hung up.

"That was Onee-chan," Ui confirmed, "she is having tea with her friends right now and wants me to fix dinner for when she gets home," she said cheerfully.

"_Y-you're kidding…"_ Azusa thought.

The two finished up with practice and went off to enjoy the comfort of their home.

* * *

In the afternoon, Yui, Mio, Mugi and Ritsu behaved quite properly in their seat while listening to their university lecturer. That morning, they had already planned to get together after school and practice playing, mostly because they missed playing together. The thought put them in a pleasant mood. However, Ritsu could not endure much longer. She began to lay her head down on her desk and let out a heavy sigh. An eraser bounced off on Ritsu's head which disturbed her peace. She looked over to Yui's direction only to find her giggling. She wanted to get even. She grabbed the eraser that had been previously thrown at her and placed it on her palm. She aimed her palm at Yui with much concentration and her tongue sticking out. She put forth all her might in that one flick, and the eraser went flying across the room. However Yui was a worthy opponent. She was sharp enough to take hold of her pencil case and used it as a shield. The eraser bounced off of the case and went into someone else's shirt, unnoticed. A soft snickering could be heard which came from Mio and Mugi who had witnessed the whole thing.

The statement "time flies when you're having fun" is true. After the girls shared a laugh or two, the class already ended. The other students stood up and raced to the door for they had been looking forward to the weekend. The four girls were thrilled as well. They picked up their guitar case and began to walk out.

"It's been a while since I've played the drums," Ritsu said as she stretched her arms, "I bet you guys miss playing your guitar and keyboard too."

All eyes were on her. It was as if the rest viewed her as an outsider.

"W-what?" Ritsu was curious.

Yui, who saw this opportunity to outshine her friend, had a smug look on her face and gently pounded her chest with pride.

"Unlike you Ricchan, I have been very diligent, diligent enough to play Gitah every night," Yui stated.

"Why you…" Ritsu was annoyed by the latter and commenced a chokehold on Yui.

"Seriously Ritsu, I think you're taking your laziness way too far," Mio said.

"Even when she doesn't practice, she's still pretty good at playing the drums though," Mugi disagreed.

Mugi's declaration brought joy to Ritsu's broken spirit.

"Mugi-chan you are so kind" Ritsu said, trying to hold back her tears of joy.

"Well we had better get a move on. Ritsu still has to go home to get her drums. The studio will close in a few hours." Mio advised.

"We don't have to worry about that. I sent my brother a text to take my drum kit over to the studio." Ritsu smiled, "he should be there by now."

"Wow Ricchan, you really are lazy." Yui said naively.

"I don't want to hear that from you," Ritsu rumbled. The girls started to set out to get to the studio they had rented.

* * *

As the girls were about to walk into the studio, they took notice of a nice beat coming from the room. The sound was loud, but it was neither too slow nor too fast. It had the right timing. They slightly opened the door and took a peek. They found a little figure in the room. He was sitting on Ritsu's throne and struck the drums with just enough vigor.

"Awesome," Mugi interrupted.

"Ah," the little boy was startled, "I'm sorry. I started messing around with it and I just got carried away."

"I didn't know you could play the drums, Satoshi-kun," Yui praised.

The boy chuckled and looked a bit embarrassed, "Not as good as my Onee-chan though," he scratched the back of his head.

"Better than Ricchan!" Yui disagreed.

"Oi," Ritsu said, feeling inferior.

"You want to stick around and watch us play?" Mio asked Satoshi.

"Can I?" Satoshi's eyes lit up.

"Of course little brother!" Ritsu added as she put her arm on his shoulder.

The group sounded a little rusty. They had not practiced since they got into Japan Women's University. Still, Satoshi looked like he enjoyed listening to the girls. He realized that when good friends come together, they create a unique sound: a sound that gives one a nice, warm feeling.

"_I'm jealous…_" Satoshi thought while admiring the group.

* * *

"Were you able to get in touch with her?" Ritsu asked Mio.

"No. She's still not answering her phone." Mio responded.

"Do you think she's still sleeping?" Ritsu added.

"Possibly," Mio replied as she stared at her phone.

"Yui-chan!" Ritsu spotted the girl.

"Hello everyone! Sorry I'm late!" Yui ran to her friends with a piece of toast in her mouth. She stopped when she came near to and struggled to catch her breath.

"Well you're in for a surprise," Ritsu smiled.

"What do you mean?" Yui asked, still catching her breath and didn't bother looking up.

"They cancelled school today," Mio revealed.

"What!" Yui cried, causing her to drop the toast.

"Well, we thought you were still in your house and we were going to tell you that they cancelled school so that you didn't have to bother coming all the way here." Ritsu explained.

Yui groaned and let herself fall, "How troublesome," she whimpered.

"Oh you guys are here?" Mugi appeared.

"Well yeah. We thought we had school today but they cancelled it," Ritsu uttered.

"Eh? But I told you about it Ricchan. They announced it yesterday. Since I couldn't reach you, I sent you a message instead. I sent Yui-chan one too." Mugi explained.

"But I didn't get a message from you Mugi-chan," Mio said.

"I figured Ritsu would tell you since you guys are close," Mugi answered.

"Ah," Ritsu froze up.

"Ritsu…" Mio stare at her friend sternly.

"M-Mio I swear I…" Ritsu tried to explain.

"Sheesh, you should really start checking your phone more often Ricchan," Yui criticized.

"I don't want to hear that from you," Ritsu barked.

"So what are we going to do now?" Mugi asked.

The group thought for a moment.

"Ah! We should go to the Aquarium!" Ritsu said excitedly.

"Good idea Ricchan," Mugi praised her.

"Yeah," Yui smiled, "but it would be nice to go with Ui and Azusa-chan," her smile faded, "I sure miss hugging Azusa-chan."

The three girls understood what Yui meant. They, too, missed their kouhai.

"Why don't we go pay them a visit?" Mugi suggested.

"Ohh Mugi-chan you're a genius!" Yui agreed.

"Well, that's that then," Ritsu smiled.

* * *

The girls arrived to their destination. They stood outside the gates of their alma mater. Warm feelings and lovely memories came flooding back into their hearts and minds: the good and bad mornings, the hot and cold weather, the festivals held every year, the paths they used to take to school, and of course their old friends whom they still kept in touch with once in a while.

"This is so nostalgic," Mio interrupted the precious silence.

"Y-yeah," Yui agreed.

"Shall we?" Mugi asked.

"Let's go!" Ritsu charged.

The rest of the girls ran after her; their hearts filled with joy and excitement with the anticipation to see their old teachers, especially Azusa and Ui.

Inside the school building, the girls took extra measures not to disturb any classes. They slightly slid the door open and peeked through the tiny gap.

"Do you see them?" Ritsu asked.

"I can't see." Yui struggled to take a good look.

"I think that's them over there," Mugi claimed.

"Really?" Yui said excitedly.

"Keep it down you guys, they can hear us!" Mio said softly.

"Mio-chan… you're unusually heavy today," Ritsu whined.

"Sh-shut up!" Mio's face turned red.

"What are you guys doing?" a voice from behind startled the group.

The pile collapsed.

"Sa-Sawako-chan!" Ritsu yelped.

* * *

In the staff room, the four girls were seated facing Sawako.

"What are you doing here? Did you skip school?" Sawako questioned them.

"Of course not!" Yui answered.

"Sensei, school got cancelled today so we thought we'd stop by," Mugi continued.

"You should have at least called first," Sawako warned them

"We-we wanted to surprise everyone!" Ritsu exposed.

"Good afternoon, Sensei," Azusa and Ui greeted.

"Ah, Azu-nyan!" Yui got up from her chair and gave her kouhai a big hug.

"What are you guys doing out of class?" Mugi asked.

"We're on our lunch break right now, and I heard you guys were over here," Ui said.

"You… knew we were here?" Mio wondered.

"Well, you guys were making so much noise back there; it was so hard not to notice," Azusa said. Mio's face turned bright red, Ritsu laughed nervously, Yui continued to hold onto Azusa and Mugi just seemed unaffected.

* * *

The time went by fast as the girls enjoyed strolling around the school, rediscovering the places they hadn't been in for almost two years. Finally, they went up to the light music club room. They sat in their old spot and began talking about the past. They remembered their dearest memories such as the time when they saved the club from disbanding, and acquiring new members. They all smiled at the thought.

"I sure miss having tea in this room while talking to you guys like this," Ritsu grinned.

They looked at each other, long enough to remember the times they used to consume sweets. They all shared a laugh. The door opened. Azusa, Ui and Jun found the former light music club members crowding the room. Azusa was suddenly overcome with a familiar feeling: a feeling she used to get when her old band mates waited up for her before practice. A sense of belonging.

"This feels familiar," Ui said.

"Oh that's right," Ritsu stood up, "you guys have to practice. We better get a move on then. We don't want to interrupt these guys."

The rest of the group followed Ritsu. They didn't show any discontent. Instead, they showed their full support for the new members. They may disagree upon many things, but they long for the same goal: for the light music club to live on as long as the school exists. As the four girls were about to step out, they turned around to take one last look at the room.

"You guy practice hard okay?" Yui said, "we look forward to seeing you top our performances."

"It's not like anybody could just beat us though," Ritsu countered, and for that statement, she received a blow in the head from her dear childhood friend.

"Enough with your encouraging words," Mio said infuriatingly.

"Bye guys, have fun!" the four waved farewell to the younger group.

When the door closed, Azusa felt lonely. She wanted to cry, and she almost did, but she had to keep herself together for the new members. She had to act strong, and crying would just make her look weak and disgraceful.

"It's okay Azusa-chan," Ui reassured Azusa, as if she was reading her mind, "I know you miss them."

Azusa wiped the tears that filled her eyes. Just Ui's and Jun's presence alone somehow made her feel at ease again.

"Okay, let's practice," Azusa smirked.

* * *

It was time for the four girls to go on their separate ways. Yui took the route that she used to take when leaving from school, while Mugi set off to her old path where she often disappeared mysteriously. The girls said their farewells and went on about their business.

"Mio, what are you planning to do after college?" Ritsu asked.

Mio thought for a while, "I'm not sure."

"After visiting our old club room today, I realized I really want to play with everybody. That would be nice, espeically when we could perform shows internationally." Ritsu disclosed.

"I know what you mean," Mio smiled

"But you wouldn't be able to join us though if we did," Ritsu said.

"W-why?" the troubled Mio asked.

"Because then you'd get married and become a full time house wife," Ritsu teased.

"No way!" Mio stuttered, "I will go wherever you guys go! I will stay by your side!"

"I know, I know. I was just joking," Ritsu chuckled.

"Well don't joke about something like that!" Mio argued.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Ritsu smiled.

Mio and Ritsu continued to walk home as the sun began to set and looked forward to a new day ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

On a nice Sunday afternoon, the group decided to spend some time with each other by taking leisure walks in the city. They agreed to meet up in the music shop that was owned by Mugi's family. Mugi, being the first one to arrive, is standing outside the music store as planned. Mugi is full of mysteries. One time, she just suddenly vanished when the group took their eyes off her for a second. Second, everyone knows her family is filthy rich, but no one exactly knows how rich: whether they are millionaires, billionaires or trillionaires, who knows?

"Ritsu," Mio said and stopped walking.

"Oof!" Ritsu grunted as she inattentively bumped into Mio's back, "what's with you?" she asked while rubbing her nose.

"Mugi's acting strangely," Mio said, worried about the girl.

"Hm?" Ritsu looked over Mio's shoulder, and sure enough, Mugi stood there, arguing with her phone. Despite the distressed Mugi, Ritsu and Mio continued to walk to her direction.

"Do you think she's scolding her butler again?" Mio asked.

"Probably. Maybe she's yelling at her caretaker for not giving her ponies a bath more often," Ritsu said with a stern face.

She knew it was possible ever since that time she made up a story about Mugi being abroad who lavishly spent her vacation with her family in Finland, which turned out to be true.

Mio ignored Ritsu's silly comment and approached Mugi.

"Mugi-chan, are you alright?" she asked.

Mugi noticed the two and quickly hung up, "Y-yes, I'm sorry you had to see that," she said while putting her cell phone in her purse.

"Don't worry," Mio said, reassuring her friend.

"You're here early," Ritsu said.

"Oh that," Mugi said while smiling shyly, "I had to meet with someone beforehand, but our meeting ended early so here I am."

"Ahh," Mio and Ritsu said in unison. After a few seconds, they realized that maybe Mugi was meeting up with her future fiancé.

"Mugi-chan! C-could it be…!" Ritsu asked.

"B-bo-boyf…" Mio stammered.

"Uh?" Mugi wondered. She then understood what they were trying to ask, "Oh… no, I was meeting up with my horse caretaker," she answered.

As it turned out, Ritsu was right all along.

"Oh everyone's here!" Yui hollered, waiving her arm while crossing the street. Fortunately, no cars were passing by. Everyone else waived back, amazed by the girl's carelessness and stroke of luck.

The group welcomed the clumsy girl with a warm smile. They planned to go into the music store before getting together and look at the new instruments. They went in when Mio became aware of the new lefty bass. She darted away from the group and crouched down facing the instrument. The rest didn't even notice until they felt a cool breeze blowing on their face. They realized the long haired girl was already far away and they all looked at her as if she was a little girl eager to play.

"Let's just leave her for now," Ritsu said. The rest of the group carried on and admired the new guitars, bass, keyboard and drums. While looking at the guitars, Yui came across a picture on the wall. A picture of a very old guitar that somewhat looked like hers. It looked so beat up and the price on it was 161,718,002 yen.

"Eh?" Yui said in a soft voice. Ritsu noticed the troubled girl.

"What is it Yui?" Ritsu asked.

"How come that guitar is so expensive? Mine looks newer and better and it only cost me 50,000 yen," the naïve girl complained.

Mugi examined the picture and read the print on the bottom that said "Jimi Hendrix's 1968 Stratocaster."

"Yui-chan, it says that Jimi Hendrix used to play this guitar," Mugi said.

"Urk!" Yui gulped.

Mugi and Ritsu smiled at the girl. Ritsu looked over at the bass section and found Mio handing over a Fender American Standard Precision Bass to the cashier. Ritsu was frozen for a second and then rushed to her best friend.

"Mio, put it back! You can't afford it!" Ritsu cried, wrapping both arms around the girl's waist and trying to drag her away from the seller, "Snap out of it!" she added as she pulled harder.

Mio, still dazed, didn't let go of the bass and wouldn't budge. Knowing there was no other way, Mugi stepped in and took a deep breath before harming her friend. Mugi raised her hand and hesitated for a second. She then took a full swing.

A perfect hit. Ritsu and Yui were astonished by what Mugi did to their friend. The two didn't know how Mio was going to react so they stood there paralyzed. They knew that if they moved a muscle, death would come upon them. Surprisingly, Mio was awakened from her astonishment and gently touched her cheek.

"Th-thank you Mugi-chan," Mio said.

"Don't worry about it," Mugi said, smiling.

"Do you guys want to go somewhere else?" Yui asked, with the intention of going to a bakery shop and satisfying her cake cravings.

"Yeah!" Ritsu and Mugi said.

"Where do you want to go?" Ritsu asked.

"Let's go to that new foreign bakery. It's only three blocks away," Yui suggested.

The rest of the girls agreed to Yui's proposal. They've always wanted to try it too since it just opened up this month. They heard that the pastries and cakes there are out of this world. Rumor has it that the cakes have a special ingredient in them that only the owner knows, and he personally adds it into the cake himself. The strange thing about it is that they owner died months ago.

When the gang heard this story, they felt shivers down their spine.

"Eh? That's really hard to believe," Yui said, thinking about it for a while.

"There's no way that would happen, Mugi-chan," Ritsu said, but when she looked to her side and saw Mio covering her ears and pretending not to be disturbed by it, she continued. "Unless he's a zombie with his body parts coming off," Ritsu teased.

Mio yelped. She fell on her knees, and her soul seemed to have left her body.

"You did it Ricchan. Mio's never going to come back," Yui said, poking Mio's arm.

"She's fine, right Mio?" Ritsu said, waving her hand in front of her friend's face.

After getting no response from her, Ritsu began to think that she might have overdone it this time.

"What are we going to do now? She's totally out of it." Ritsu said.

"We? You're the one who scared her Ricchan," Yui pouted.

"The only way to get her back is to feed her some sweets," Mugi said.

Yui and Mugi started to walk. Ritsu had no choice: she knelt down on one knee with Mio behind her. She grabbed both of Mio's hands and wrapped them around her neck and held onto her legs before getting up.

"Why don't you guys help me," Ritsu said, feeling strangled. It was hard to breathe with Mio practically choking her.

"It was you who made Mio faint," Mugi said, but had a smirk on her face.

As they were walking, they recognized a couple of familiar faces walking towards them. The taller girl carried a bag over her shoulder while the shorter girl carried a guitar case on her back. They were a bit surprised to see them.

"Azu-nyan!" Yui shrieked and jumped on the girl to give her a hug.

"Sempai," Azusa struggled to put her words together as Yui rubbed her cheek against hers.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ritsu asked the two.

"Ah," Ui said, and looked at Azusa who was dominated by her sister, "we were going to have some maintenance done on Azusa's guitar."

"Azusa-chan, you're so diligent," Mugi complimented the little girl.

"Yeah, unlike Yui here," Ritsu said.

Yui didn't say anything. Instead, she pouted and didn't let go of Azusa.

"Where are you off to sempai?" Ui asked Mugi.

"We were going to go to that new bakery that just opened up. Want to meet us over there when you're done?" Mugi asked.

"Really?" Azusa said animatedly.

"Yes," Ritsu answered.

After chatting for a while, Azusa and Ui were finally off to have the guitar taken care of while Mugi and the gang continued to their destination. Yui was right. It wasn't that long of a walk. Ritsu, who had to carry her dear friend, was very exhausted. They found the place and stood outside, admiring it for a minute. The sign was big and there were lights around it that blinked very bright colors. The store was called "Boulangerie."

"B-bo-bou-ra," Ritsu tried to read the sign.

"Boulangerie," Mugi pronounced correctly.

"R-right," Ritsu said, embarrassed.

"Yui, are you-" Ritsu couldn't finish her question for the girl had already gone into the shop. It didn't surprise her. Ritsu and Mugi followed the energetic Yui to the store.

"I want this and this and that and that one please!" Yui ordered.

"You can't eat all that!" Ritsu rumbled.

Having failed to get through Yui, Ritsu gave up and gently set Mio down in a chair. She knelt before her friend and gave her cheek a soft squeeze.

"Mio-chwan," Ritsu said.

Yui came back with a tray full of cakes. She had a big smile on her face and looked like she was in heaven.

Ritsu noticed the girl and began to wonder.

"Yui… how did you pay for all those?" Ritsu asked.

Yui set her tray down and sat in her chair. She picked up a spoon, and took a piece of the cake.

"I don't know," the girl replied still smiling.

"I'm back everyone," Mugi said, walking towards the group.

The girls welcomed Mugi as she sat down and joined them.

"You are going to jail," Ritsu reminded the girl.

Yui ignored Ritsu. She was enjoying her food too much to pay attention to her friend.

"Don't worry. It's all paid for," Mugi said.

"Mugi-chan, you're spoiling her too much," Ritsu said.

Mugi just smiled and gave no reply. She liked to see her friends happy, especially knowing that she's the reason of their happiness. Seeing two girls happy is a completely different story.

"Cake…" Mio uttered.

Ritsu and Mugi rushed to look at their friend. Yui was still enjoying her cake.

"Mio!" Ritsu grabbed her friend's shoulders.

Mugi sat there, worried about Mio and at the same time admiring the two girls. Mio slowly opened her eyes. At first she saw a gleaming light coming from an unknown source. She squinted for a little while until her eyes got used to the brightness. She then saw Ritsu's face.

"Mio?" Ritsu asked.

"Ritsu…" Mio finally answered.

As Mugi watched the two with delight, Ui and Azusa came into the store. The pair immediately found the loud group and joined them.

* * *

"Are you guys studying for your exams?" Azusa asked.

Yui and Ritsu froze. They were not the type to remember that sort of thing. With their mouths wide open, Azusa got her answer. She knew they were ignoring their classes like always.

"Don't even bother asking them. They have been slacking off too much," Mio said as she took a bite of her cake.

"I always knew they were lazy, but this time I was kind of hoping they took their studies more seriously since they're in college now." Azusa said.

"We do take it seriously!" Ritsu woke up from her paralyzed state.

"Prove it then," Mio challenged her friend.

"Fine. I am going to study on my own and I'll show you that I can do it. Am I right Yui?" Ritsu looked at her friend.

"Right!" Yui said, who was awakened by her fellow comrade.

"That would be a sight," Mio said.

After enjoying their cake and tea, the group went home. It was official. The girls were going to study on their own: without any help from each other.

* * *

On the first day of studying for their exams, they agreed to turn off their cell phones until after the tests. They planned not to contact each other or even be in the same room. They had two weeks to get ready. Until then, Mio decided to cut back on tea and sweets. Partly because she did not want to gain weight; but most importantly, it reminded her of the other girls. Mio sat in her study desk and put her head phones on. Studying while listening to some music sort of helped her. She became more focused and relaxed.

As for Yui, she sat in her home facing the television. She must have forgotten about studying or anything that had to do with college altogether.

"Onee-chan, aren't you supposed to be studying?" Ui said, coming out of the kitchen while holding a snack tray.

"Ah," Yui paused, smiling.

Ui sighed. She set the tray down and went upstairs. With her little sister gone, Yui started digging in. She picked up a small triangular shaped sandwich and tossed it in her mouth. She chewed it while watching Gapachin on tv. Without her realizing, Ui came down carrying a bunch of books. She struggled to watch her step because her view was blocked by the mounting books. Yui, still unaware of her little sister, continued to destroy the helpless sandwiches. Ui somehow found her way to the kotatsu table where her big sister was in. She dropped the books on the table and she fell on the floor, sighing. The snack plates sprung up as the books crashed on the small table. Yui finally noticed Ui and her books.

"Ui-chan…" Yui said.

"What is it Onee-chan?" Ui said, still trying to catch her breath.

"What are these?" Yui asked innocently.

"Your books. You need to sudy Onee-chan," Ui answered.

Yui placed her head on the table and pouted. Ui knew she wasn't going to get her request. She had to be firm. It was the only way to get Yui to study. She took the tray away from the lazy girl and stood up.

"Ui…" Yui murmured as she lifted her head up.

"You're not getting any snacks until you study." Ui said, trying not to look at her sister's face.

"Ui…" Yui whimpered as tears filled up her eyes quickly.

"I mean it," Ui said before walking away to the kitchen. It broke Ui's heart to see her big sister cry. She had this fixation on seeing Yui happy all the time; almost to the point where it's unhealthy. All her life, everything she did was for the sake of Yui. It was as if she only lived to serve her older sister.

Ui went upstairs, feeling extremely terrible. She went into her room with the snack tray still in her hands. She sat down on her bed and put the tray in her lap. Horrible thoughts began to fill her head as she left her sister downstairs with nothing but books. Minutes have passed and Ui still looked very tense. There were many times where she'd been tempted to go down and rescue her Onee-chan. The tension was beginning to take a toll on Ui. She had a tight grip on the tray, trying to prevent her tears from falling. Finally, she couldn't take the burden on herself. She set the tray on her bed and ran downstairs.

"Onee-chan!" Ui cried, only to realize that all her sorrow was for nothing. She found Yui actually studying on her own. She was surprised, but not disappointed. This was what she was kind of hoping to happen. She loved to spoil her sister, but she also wanted her to know some responsibility. Her guilt slowly went away as a smile formed on her face. She walked towards Yui and sat next to her unnoticed. She looked over her sister's shoulder and sure enough, Yui was actually reading.

"Hmm…" Yui seemed troubled.

Ui looked at her sister, "What is it Onee-chan?" she asked.

"Ah, Ui" Yui smiled at the sight of her beloved sister, "it's just that I don't get this part."

Ui stared at the book and took her time to understand what it said. She then took one of the pens that was lying on the table and started writing a simpler equation for Yui to understand.

"That's how you do it Onee-chan," Ui said, tyring to make Yui understand.

It took quite a while for Yui to absorb all the things Ui wrote down, and finally understood it.

"Ah Ui-chan you're amazing!" Yui said and then gave her a hug.

Yui spent that night studying, except Ui was the one teaching her.

On the other hand, Mugi was never the type to worry about such thing. She had her own private tutor. It's not like she broke the promise between her friends. They clearly said that they would receive no assistance from _each other_, which means they can get help from other people. It was sneaky of Mugi but she didn't break her promise. She, too, decided to be strict with herself just like everyone. She had her private tutor come up with a tight daily schedule for studying alone. One may assume that Mugi is spoiled since her family is rich, but never judge a book by its cover. Mugi is an independent and hard working girl.

"Hold my calls for me Alfred," Mugi commanded her butler.

"Yes madam," the servant answered.

Mugi proceeded to her study room to tackle another challenge.

* * *

One week passed. Mio has been in the library for a couple hours. She was unexpectedly struggling with her studies.

'_Everyone was right. College is difficult._' Mio thought. She wasn't aware of the figure that sat across the table.

"It's hard at first, but you will get used to the pace and you'll instantly pick it up," a stranger said.

Mio was startled and found a familiar looking girl sitting across from her.

"So-Sokabe-san!" Mio said.

"Sorry. Did I scare you?" the girl said apologetically.

"I-it's not that…" Mio tried to explain.

"Please call me Megumi," the girl said.

Mio felt her face become warm, "Y-yes"

"Is there anything that you don't get? Maybe I could help you." Megumi said nicely.

"Uhh… this, this part right here," Mio said awkwardly as she pointed at the book.

"Ohh you're smarter than I thought," Megumi said.

Mio, still trying to avoid Megumi's eyes, looked down.

"Ah," Megumi realized what she had said, "I didn't mean it like that. I mean you're way ahead of Ritsu-chan. She is still chapters behind."

"Ritsu…?" Mio became curious.

"Oh, yeah. She asked me for help because she didn't understand certain parts of the book," Megumi said.

'_That Ritsu_.' Mio thought to herself angrily.

"Ohh! Are you guys studying?" Ritsu roared from behind Mio after noticing the two.

'_Speak of the devil_,' Mio thought.

"What are you guys looking at?" Ritsu asked as she flung her arms around Mio's neck and looked over her shoulder.

"We're studying. And we're not supposed to be talking to each other," Mio scolded Ritsu.

"Did you guys get into a fight or something?" Megumi wondered.

"Hm?" Ritsu looked at her sempai, "not really" she chuckled.

"Ah, I figured. You guys wouldn't be that close if you did," Megumi said.

Mio pushed Ritsu's face away from her, disengaging her embrace.

"And we weren't supposed to get help from anyone, right Ritsu? I heard from Megumi-san that you asked for her help." Mio said.

"Ehh?" Ritsu said, then her expression turned into a smug look, "but didn't you ask help from Megumi just now too Mio?"

Mio became flustered and directed her gaze away from Ritsu, "I..I was just…"  
"I offered to help Mio-chan," Megumi interrupted, saving the girl from embarrassment.

"Mio… chan?" Ritsu said, surprised that the two became close at such a short period of time.

"Well since you both are already here, I might as well help you out right?" Megumi said nicely.

Ritsu and Mio agreed. They might as well. Ritsu already broke the pact by inadvertently being in the library.

"After this, we go back to our agreement," Mio said, reminding Ritsu.

"Of course! Of course!" Ritsu answered cheerfully.

The two spent the whole afternoon studying with the help of their sempai. Ritsu, who is naturally loud, got into trouble with the library receptionist many times. After receiving numerous warnings, Mio decided that for every noise Ritsu made, she would hit her. Ritsu was terrified of Mio's angry side and did not want to mess with her, and so she began to take her studies seriously.

* * *

Azusa was studying for the midterms as well while the television was blaring. She was distracted by one single thing: not because of the loud noise coming from the television, but because she was worried about Yui. She tried to dismiss such thoughts, but the more she resisted them, the more they took over her mind. She groaned. She directed her gaze to the television as the news came on.

"The libraries are packed today. These students are really taking their studies very seriously which will benefit them in the future. Let us show our support to these dedicated individuals as they take on their journey toward success," the reporter said.

As Azusa watched the rest of the news, her cell phone went off. She picked it up and answered.

"Hello?" she said.

"Azusa-chan, want to come over?" Ui asked.

"Ui? Why? Isn't sempai studying today?" she said.

"Yeah she is. I'm really glad because she's doing her best right now to keep up with everyone. Azusa-chan, I kind of need your help with something." Ui said.

"Oh, sure. I'll be there," Azusa hung up and stared at her cell phone for a few seconds. She closed all her books and put them in her hand bag. She grabbed the remote and turned off the tv. Maybe now that she's going over to Ui's house, she could also check on Yui to see how she's doing. At her age, she shouldn't be worrying at all. She felt strange for worrying about someone who's older than her. It was as if Yui was her child who had a leaning towards trouble. She put on her shoes before walking out the door.

* * *

The door bell rang.

"Oh that must be Azusa," Ui said.

"Ah! Azu-nyan!" Yui said excitedly.

"I'll go open the door. You stay here and study some more Onee-chan," Ui said as she got up.

"Okay," Yui smiled.

Just when Ui opened the door, Yui ran passed her and hurled herself to Azusa.

"Azu-nyan, I missed you so much!" Yui gabbled, rubbing her cheek against Azusa's.

"Sempai," Azusa said.

"Welcome Azusa-chan. I'll be in the living room when you're done okay?" Ui said happily. She went ahead and walked to the living room to give the pair some time to catch up. She knew it was going to take very long for Yui to free the powerless Azusa.

* * *

While the girls had their hands full with school work, Sawako became frail. It's been a while since she had some decent tea. Ever since the new school year started, she has been in a foul mood. When walking to her homeroom, she slouched showing her lack of interest to go on with life. Some students were starting to avoid her. Her eyes became lifeless and her voice was rougher than normal. It made the other teachers worry that Sawako may not be getting enough rest, or the school work was too much for her, what with the two clubs she was juggling at the same time. It would put one on a lot of pressure. But that wasn't the case for Sawako. She was spiteful because she was low on Mugi's tea. The tea that she dearly missed and adored.

"Sawako Sensei, are you alright?" one of the teachers asked.

Sawako returned to her old self, "Ah, y-yeah" she answered.

The teacher giggled, "You miss your students don't you Sensei?"

Sawako avoided her gaze and scratched her cheek timidly, '_Yeah, I miss the old music club, especially Mugi's sweets and tea_,' she thought.

"They say we can use the cooking class homeroom after school or when it's not used. That's only for us teachers though," the teacher said, as if reading Sawako's mind.

"Good to know," Sawako said, not realizing what the teacher was implying.

The teacher smiled before leaving. Sawako followed the wise woman with her eyes, wondering what she said had to do with her being dispirited. She reminded her of Yui who often used to say random things out of nowhere. She started to walk to the staff room when she passed by the culinary arts room. She paused for a while to try to take in what her coworker had said. She looked around the room, as if trying to find some clues. She still wasn't getting it. She saw some pans hanging upside down, cutting boards standing against the wall, and pots properly turned over. As she contemplated on what her acquaintance said, two students passed by her.

"Did you hear? The tea club is going to perform Wuthering Heights!" one student said.

"Really? I wonder who's going to play Heathcliff. I hope it's Ayumi-sempai!" the other girl squealed.

They two girls giggled and quickened their pace. Sawako was weakened when she heard the word 'tea' from the girl's mouth. She _needed_ to re-energize herself. She looked up at the ceiling, trying to hold onto her soul. That's when it hit her. Tea! She is going to try making tea herself! There's a thought. She gazed into the room like it was her opponent with a strong determination to achieve victory.

Her first attempt was a disappointment. It didn't turn out as good as she thought. She took a sip and it appeared that she added too much sugar in it. She tried making it again. The second time was unsuccessful again. The tea was too concentrated. The third tea she made had too many leaves, and the fourth one was very spicy.

This time she used black tea and added just a bit of honey in it and a pinch of sugar. She thought she did a good job because she didn't add too much in the tea. If it's bland, she can just add in a little bit of whatever it needs. She sat down and grasped the cup of tea with both hands. She blew on it first so her mouth and tongue wouldn't get burnt. She took a tiny sip. She stood up, causing her chair to fall over, and picked up the tea pot and threw it out the window. Her face was flustered and fumes were almost blowing out of her ears.

"This is outrageous!" she yelled at what's left of the tea cup.

* * *

"Yes! Got it" Mio said happily while talking to Megumi on the phone. After the little study session in the library, Mio and Megumi have been contacting each other through cell phones. Mio would ask her sempai about little things she didn't understand, and sometimes they would just talk casually like friends.

"So, no help from other people huh?" a voice from behind startled Mio which caused her to drop her phone.

"Ri-Ritsu!" Mio turned around to see her friend's annoyed face.

"What are you doing here?" Mio's face became red.

"Nothing. I was just passing by when I heard someone talking very loud." Ritsu said.

"Y-you shouldn't spy on people like that!" Mio said.

"No matter. Didn't you say that we shouldn't talk to anyone after exams?" Ritsu stared intently at her friend.

"Th-that's absurd! I wasn't discussing anything school related with Megumi," Mio said.

Ritsu became more annoyed. She was ready to leave Mio's room and stopped at the door.

"Fine. I wouldn't want to interrupt your precious time with Megumi," Ritsu said. She opened the door and walked out.

"RItsu!" Mio said angrily. She remained seated and didn't run after her. She thought it was silly getting angry over something like that. She stood up and opened her window to see if Ritsu was still down there, but there was no sign of her. She clutched both her hands and ran downstairs. She put on her scarf and hat before going down. She hurried to get her boots on when her mother came out of the kitchen.

"Mio, why are you in such a hurry?" her mother asked.

"Stupid Ritsu," Mio murmured.

"Ritsu?" her mother wondered, "Did you two have a fight?"

"Fight?" Ritsu echoed as she came out from the kitchen holding a bag of potato chips.

"Ritsu!" Mio shrieked.

"W-what?" Ritsu said nervously.

* * *

Back in Mio's room, Ritsu sat down as if she was being interrogated for committing a serious crime. The bumps on her head were throbbing. The two stayed quiet for what seemed like forever. Ritsu's face was red, and it looked like she wanted to weep from the pain. Mio sat in her chair with her legs and arms crossed. She was staring coldly at her friend.

"What were you doing here anyway?" Mio said, breaking the silence.

Ritsu sniffed, "I… I just wanted to study with you," she said in a soft voice.

"Nonsense. We're not supposed to help each other. You said so yourself," Mio said coldly.

"But without your help, I won't be able to pass!" Ritsu pleaded.

"That's not my problem," Mio said.

"But you've got to help me Mio-chan," Ritsu said, "Remember in high school when I had high scores on all my subjects? It was because you taught me really well."

Mio was surprised and embarrassed at the same time. Whenever she helped Ritsu, she thought she'd never gotten through her. Ritsu was stubborn she thought. All this time, everything that she taught her actually stuck in her tiny brain. She looked at her friend: kindness slowly taking over her bitterness.

"I'm no good without you Mio," Ritsu said.

"F-fine, give me your notes" Mio said timidly.

"Ah thank you Mio-chan!" Ritsu said cheerfully.

Mio and Ritsu spent the entire day studying, with breaks in between of course since Ritsu suggested it. Just when Ritsu's bumps started to heal, Mio gave her another one for being lazy and disobedient. This seemed to continue on throughout the night. They only had one more day to study. Hopefully this time, all the things that Mio taught Ritsu will stick as well.

* * *

"Onee-chan, please study. You have already wasted two hours," Ui said to her sister.

"In a bit," Yui said, still holding Azusa.

"Sempai, please listen to Ui" Azusa said.

Ui grabbed Azusa's hand and stood up.

"I'm sorry Onee-chan but Azusa and I will go up to my room and study. Please try to study as well," Ui said.

Azusa followed her. As they were walking up the stairs, she looked back at Yui. She was lying on the floor, trying to make a snow angel.

"Guys don't leave me" Yui said.

"Do your best Onee-chan," Ui said.

Azusa and Ui walked into the room and closed the door. Ui directed her friend to sit on the bed as she got her books out of the drawer.

"Is she going to be okay?" Azusa asked.

"I hope so," Ui's voice broke.

"Ui-chan! U-umm…" Azusa panicked as she saw her friend's tears rolling down her eyes. She stood up and walked to Ui, trying to comfort her.

"I-it's okay Ui-chan. I'm sure she will do fine. It's sempai after all," Azusa said.

"You think so?" Ui said, wiping her tears.

Azusa didn't answer right away. She remembered the time when Yui wanted to perform solo in a contest because she wanted to win that trip to Hawaii for her neighbor. She had her exams coming up that day as well. She helped Yui perform because she wanted to take a little bit of load off her shoulders, but she knew that she didn't need anybody's help. She could do anything she set her mind to.

"I know so," Azusa answered confidently.

Ui realized it as well, "You're right," she smiled.

Azusa ended up staying over that night. She and Ui didn't want to disturb Yui downstairs so they didn't come out of their room. They ate and slept in there.

The girls decided to spend tomorrow reading their books and notes. There was no time to play and fool around. If they failed the exams, they would stay as first years in college. That means their parents would have to pay more for their tuition.

They must work hard to pass the exams, otherwise all their work they put into their studies will be for nothing. It appears that this task is another challenge to be tackled for the girls.


End file.
